Sickness
by Eris Clio
Summary: Remus comes down with a slight cold during PoA. Will Severus be helpful and provide medicine, or will he take advantage of the illness of a fellow colleague? Cute one-shot. SSRL. Lots of cuddling. T for language.


The unfortunate thing about claiming to be ill every other month is that sometimes you really do fall ill and have no excuse left to use. It's called _crying wolf_ , and Remus Lupin, not fond of the phrase, was not impressed with Severus Snape's use of it when the man came to his chambers bearing a Pepperup potion one night.

"...and Albus sends his condolences, as well."

Remus barely had time to answer the knock on the door before it was thrown open with a loudness that only further upset his headache.

"Did he use that word? That makes it sound as if I've died."

"There's still time."

Severus set the potion he bore on a bedside table and took off his outer robes of billowy black.

"Intend to stay a while?" was all Lupin said as he uncorked the clear vial of Pepperup. He coughed and took a sip.

"I tire of reading in my chambers. Albus asked me to come. Besides, I must study werewolf habits. You're ill, so I assume I'll be covering another one of your classes in the coming days. Perhaps one of the students will finally catch on."

"Hmm…" the other mused. "You do seem to lead a dull life. I'm glad I can brighten it."

Severus ignored the comment and began to wander towards Remus's bookshelf against the opposite wall.

"Ah, this is new…"

"It's rather old, actually." Remus too looked at the shabby tome, threadbare around the edges of the yellowed binding.

"And how do you know... that it's... new…?" Remus began but faltered. He realized the other was not even listening.

Severus continued flipping through unbidden. The expression on his face showed that he did not approve of the content.

"Please don't touch my things," Remus asked as Snape grew bored and left the book on the edge of the shelf to instead look through a small box containing old photographs.

"Those are private!"

"Full of pictures of you and Black in Gryffindor scarves, is it?" he picked up one photo of four happy friends and grimaced.

"Yes, some of them! Quit looking!"

He jammed the lid on unceremoniously once he was caught. He spun around to face the other professor, who was sitting up in bed.

" _Stop me_."

"If I weren't ill I would certainly engage you in a Wizard's duel over my askew book, Severus, but you see, I'm not well."

"You're never well."

"It's a new moon! I should be on top of the world! Not bedridden." He put his face in his hands and dramatically shook his head.

The full moon was two weeks off yet here lay Remus, as ill as if it were yesterday.

"You're accustomed to this. Drink the potion."

Remus continued sipping from the vial while Severus continued looking around the room, waiting. After a few moments the werewolf made a sound of displeasure.

"This is disgusting!" he complained. "How did you manage to ruin the taste of even a simple Pepperup potion?"

"It wasn't easy."

Lupin glared and sipped, eyes following the other professor as he strolled to an open wardrobe and began rifling through robes with a look of great curiosity. He pawed at each one, knocking it aside to see the next in line. He took advantage of Lupin's sickness, as Remus was not surprised he did.

"Torn. Threadbare. Stained. Is this blood?" he reached the very back row of hanging clothes. "These are acceptable," he said, holding up a black sleeve.

"Looking for your favorite outfit?" Remus asked coolly. "You'll find no vulture-topped hat in there, I'm afraid."

He was rather pleased with himself until he realized he'd have to pay the penalty.

Suddenly the blankets were torn off his cozy bed in a fluid motion. Remus yelped and twisted around as he had had them entangled between his legs.

They floated over the bed and hovered just out of reach. Remus leaned forward as he grabbed for the mass, yet they rose an inch too high to grasp.

Snape grinned, his wand held aloft.

Not his wand. Remus' wand!

"You bastard!"

This made Severus smile.

"Implying that two different men found my mother appealing. That's rich."

Severus concentrated on the covers, a white sheet with two layers of crimson blankets and one knitted quilt.

"I had a father, you see? And if you'd met him you'd have no doubt he was mine. Find a better insult, Lupin. I'm sure you can."

Remus remained quiet, wrapping his arms around himself for warmth.

"Just give them back, alright? I'm _fucking_ freezing."

" _Language._ "

Remus pouted on the bed. He was kneeling, letting the hem of his overlarge sweater fall over his legs and pool on the mattress.

"Perhaps you're cold because you're not wearing any clothes."

"I am. I assumed I would be allowed blankets for the night but it seems I was mistaken."

Severus made sure the blankets were far out of reach.

"You should always be prepared!" he scoffed as he used magic to twist them into a ball and hover threateningly close to the fireplace, a roaring fire blazing menacingly now that it could be used for evil instead of life-giving heat.

"You were a member of the Order of the Phoenix, after all. Didn't that teach you that you can be attacked at any moment? How would it look to the rest of the Wizarding World for Remus Lupin to be found wandless and…" Severus narrowed his eyes and twisted the corner of his lips into a smile, "not wearing a complete outfit."

Indeed, Remus was not wearing his full pyjama set. He'd discarded his bottoms when he crawled into bed as he didn't want them to bother him once he slid his legs beneath the covers. They were a size too large for him, causing the extra material to be rather uncomfortable and fit only for midnight trips to the kitchens. Now he was paying for his choice.

"Snape, I doubt any Death Eaters are going to walk in here and engage me in combat."

"Don't be so sure."

He smirked. Remus heartily disliked the glint in his eyes. But it was gone quickly as Snape walked over to a window above Remus' bed, using his free hand to unlatch the pane and after a bit of pushing, opened the tall glass. Immediately a breeze that was disproportionate to the late autumn chill swooped down upon the entire chamber.

"Ah, Severus!" Remus whined as he attempted to shield himself from the cold by sitting amongst the pillows. It did little to help him. He pulled the cuffs of his brown jumper further down his hands, which fell far over his fingers.

"It's cold tonight." was all Severus said as he focused on the blankets at hand. They now drifted next to the fireplace, which was flickering, warning that it may be doused with one large breeze. A few drafts made their way in, and Remus' too-long hair was ruffled in the air. Severus felt chilly himself, and knew that his plan was working quite well.

"Snape, I swear to Merlin that if you burn those blankets -"

"What? What will you do?"

"I will enlist the house elves to dye all of your robes Gilderoy Lockhart's' favorite shade of lilac-purple. _Permanently_."

Severus missed a beat and the blankets almost fell, but he straightened his back and made them inch so close to the flames that a corner was singed. Luckily the wind kept the flames from getting too high or they may have engulfed the hovering mass.

"Lupin, I don't doubt you'd force our kitchen staff to do your bidding. But you know there would be repercussions the likes of which you would be too fearful to face."

"I'll make sure to be present in all my classes from now on so that you don't have any way of getting me back. Two roll of parchment, Severus? Really? On a Quidditch weekend? And they say _I'm_ the monster."

Severus only seemed proud of himself. The blankets now drifted directly into the floo, floating as high up as they could without bumping the walls or touching the flames. Remus reached out a hand as though attempting to grab them, or to make sure Severus didn't do anything drastic.

"Now, Severus, old friend…" he tried reasoning, "Remember all the, er...good times we had together in our schooldays?"

He was quite fearful now. He glanced to the window as the breeze put out a few of the wall torches around the room, so all that remained of the light was the dying fireplace.

"Yes, I remember." Severus cooed.

"When you tried to kill me, when your friends tried to kill me, when I threw you in the lake. I was aiming for Pettigrew, but someone was going in and I didn't really care -"

"The time I apologized profusely with many different kinds of gifts to you after my friends used me to hurt you. The time you and I were paired in Potions because I was so very terrible and Slughorn knew you were the only one who could scare the talent into me -"

"I see his tactic failed."

Remus grinned, despite his cold and the cold of the room.

"Severus…" he said after a moment of the two staring at the blankets in the fireplace. Remus seemed to have calmed down, but had begun to shiver.

"What?" he asked, agitated and obviously deep in thought about something one of them had said.

"I can see your breath."

Indeed they both could. Snape expelled breath to test the theory, and when a cloud of white appeared before him he cocked his head to one side in question.

Remus' eyes widened as he spun around on the bed to look out of the wide open window. The glass of either pane was frosted as it was not a moment ago.

"Severus, close the window or cast a Patronus charm." he was suddenly very stern, using a voice he normally reserved for quieting his class.

"I…"

Remus acted without being bid. He jumped up and attempted to close the window above his bed. In the darkness, Severus could make out a shadow against the night sky, now dotted with dark black masses growing larger each second. With very much difficulty, Remus closed the heavy pane and the room was once again silent. The frost abated too quickly to be natural, but both were thankful for it.

"Snape, you almost lost us our souls." Remus eyed the blankets, still above the fire. "If you even have a soul."

He returned to sitting on the bed, arms crossed and knees tucked beneath him. His two cold feet stuck out behind him, no longer immersed in pillows as they had been scattered in his haste to stave off the intruders.

"Tell me, can you even cast a Patronus?"

"I have more talent than you, Lupin, so -"

"It's not about talent."

Snape narrowed his eyes.

"That's better."

"What is?"

"That was a very good insult, Lupin," he said in a choked voice. "Glad to see you're listening."

Remus scoffed. "You know I didn't mean it."

"Well, that's a pity because I have several I wish to say to you."

But as he began to list off the names he'd call Lupin if ever he had the chance to, the werewolf's eyes slowly drifted toward the bedside chair. Severus had draped his outer robes over it, leaving the man now in his usual trousers, shirt, day-robes and vest. He had obviously planned to stay a while to torment the other, and wanted to be comfortable. Remus seized his chance and grabbed the black robes, the clothes heavy and one pocket clinking suspiciously.

"...a poor Prefect, too. It's little wonder you never received the Head Boy badge. Lupin! You drop those immediately!"

He had spotted the scene. The werewolf draped himself in black fabric, letting it wrap around his shoulders and pool on the bed far better than his simple sweater. It was long and roomy enough to cover him completely, a replacement blanket albeit with two extra sleeves that hung uselessly at the sides.

He tucked his hands into the pockets to keep them warm.

"Oh, vials," he huffed as his fingers felt cold glass.

"Mm. A few galleons."

"Werewolf! Unhand my clothing."

"What's this?" He pulled out a slip of paper. " _Milk, eggs, bread_. Ah. Shopping list, eh?"

Severus blushed in the renewed light of the fireplace, Remus enjoying the view.

He turned it over. "Oh, there's more, is there?"

He read aloud, " _Chocolate Frogs, Pepper Imps_. Sweet tooth, Severus?"

"It's for a potion. Ingredients."

"... _toothpaste. Mittens - hopefully green._ Well, of course. What other color for you? _Christmas gift for Albus. Socks,_ with a question mark _. Candy,_ question mark. _New house elf,_ question mark. It's a very exciting life you lead, isn't it?"

"Return that to its pocket this instant!"

"Return my blankets to my bed!"

"Bah!" Severus finally complained loud enough. He walked over to Remus, grabbing his robes out of the other's grasp. But Remus was rather entangled in them and would not give up easily. Snape, with one hand available, could do nothing. He succeeded in snatching away the shopping list, at the very least.

Remus yawned. "Well, I think I'll go to sleep. Very tired."

He snuggled in the black robes, turning over on his side. His feet stuck out of the ends but he managed to pull them back in, all skin save his face disappearing from view.

"You're going to give us all fleas," Severus pleaded.

He stood beside the bed, Remus' wand still making the blankets float over the now-roaring fireplace. The room was once again alight with torches. It was so very bright, Lupin was certainly faking his need for sleep. His eyes were tightly shut, and a smile was in place on his face. Obvious trickery.

However, as Remus soon suspected, he was ungraciously rolled over onto his back. He had the black cloak peeled away from him, his weak arms not putting up too much of a fight. Severus had cast some spell to make the blankets hover in their place without a wand pointed. Of course he knew a spell to help him get his way!

Remus was rolled over onto his stomach as the robes were unravelled from his grasp.

"Severus!" he whined as the man took back his clothes. Remus was now on his stomach, wearing only his sweater, and freezing just the same as before.

"Haven't yet learned how to dress yourself?"

"Not very well, no."

Severus was sitting on the edge of the bed, robes over one arm and wand once again pointing at the fireplace. The blankets spun in a magical heap just out of reach of flames.

The Defense professor leaned on his forearms on the bed, wondering what to do. He soon realized that sitting this close to another person was quite warm. When Snape tossed his robes back over the chair, now having placed himself between the clothes and the thieving wolf, there would be no worry of losing them again. Remus sat up as Severus had his head turned and scooted closer to the Potions professor.

He grabbed an arm and wrapped it around his own shoulders, his knees disappearing beneath his sweater again to keep warm. Remus had time to curl his hands into balls and store them in Severus' jacket pocket. Luckily Snape's day-robes were shorter than his outer ones, yet still billowy enough that Remus found room in the folds to hide his icy hands.

He leaned his head on Severus' shoulder to complete the picture.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Staying warm."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Feel." Remus quickly touched a hand to Severus' neck, the space above his collar chilling rapidly.

A sharp intake of breath met Remus' s ears and he chuckled. "Now we both need blankets."

" _I'm_ perfectly fine." Severus was sitting very still, very rigid. He allowed his arm to be draped across Remus' shoulder but used his other to maneuver the blankets.

"I'll burn these blankets, Lupin. Don't think I won't. I am a man of my word, usually, and -"

"And we won't need blankets now that we have each other. Go ahead, burn them, I suppose."

Severus eyed only what he was doing and did not notice when Remus tilted his head up to nip at his ear.

The most Severus was able to do while still concentrating on the blankets, which now required his full attention to resist being set aflame, was to crane his neck away. Remus ignored his tries and left a trail of warm kisses down his neck. He pulled open the cravat that stood in the way and continued to move aside the collar and nuzzle as he pushed aside fabric.

Severus was unusually quiet.

He lifted a cold hand to the others' cheek, turning his face around. Severus allowed himself to be repositioned, suddenly met by two warm lips that forced a flood of warmth through his entire body when they captured his in a gentle kiss.

Remus smiled into it. He said nothing, and thought nothing but of the man beside him, his hands now cupping the other's face to keep it still. Suddenly he felt a flood of warmth through his body as well, but it had nothing to do with the kiss they shared. Layers of heavy, very toasty blankets fell down upon his shoulders and wrapped themselves around him tightly. As he had not been forced to break their kiss, he assumed the other half of the blankets was equally entwining Severus. He was right, he saw, when he finally took his tongue back to himself and instead kissed along an angular jaw.

After Remus pulled away to catch his breath, he found Severus doing quite the same. Remus smiled.

"You taste like chocolate."

"You taste like death."

"Your fault."

"No, Lupin. Your fault. You're the one who's ill. Wearing only sweaters. Always looking so thin. Forcing me to hold hostage your blankets until you finally earn them back."

"If I knew this was the way to see they are safely returned I would have kissed you the moment you walked in."

"And if that was so, the Dementors would have been the least of your worries."

Remus smiled and snuck an arm around Severus' waist to pull him down into a laying position beside him. He backed up on the bed, dragging the other with him that they lay properly instead of on the edge. Severus kicked off his shoes.

"And for your information, I can indeed produce a Patronus. A very strong one, at that. I was just fearful that you'd be scared to death by the ferociousness of the animal."

"Is that so?" Remus snaked an arm over Severus' chest, beneath warm blankets that had been roasting over the fireplace for the perfect amount of time.

"Mine's a werewolf. Is yours scarier than that?"

"Far more terrifying."

"And what is it, might I ask?"

"A doe."

"That's fucking adorable."

Severus shrugged. "Albus thinks the same."

Remus suddenly sat up on his arm, leaning over the other.

"Severus, do you think you could ever forgive me for everything that's happened between us?" he had a look of desperation in his eyes, but also doubt was found there, somewhere deep beneath the amber.

"No."

Remus lay back down on his side, equal to the other.

"But did you expect me to?" Severus asked, grabbing the werewolf round the neck and pulling him into another heated kiss, this one far more passionate than the first.

Remus smiled and practically melted, which was certainly saying something for having been so very cold a few minutes ago.

 _Fin_

Please review if you have the time. Was it too sweet? Sweeter than the chocolate frogs on Severus' shopping list.


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